1 Introduction.- 2 Understanding the high interest rates on Italian government securities.- 3 The determinants of yield differentials in favour of the lira: a quantitative analysis.- 4 Portfolio choices and real interest rates: the role of savers’ age structure.- 5 Fiscal rules for debt sustainability: history and institutions.- 6 The auction mechanism for the settlement of medium- and long-term securities of the Italian Treasury.- 7 The valuation of Italian floating-rate Treasuries.- 8 Informational efficiency and liquidity on the T-bond market.- 9 The integration of European futures markets on long-term government securities.- 10 Institutional investors and financial markets: evidence from an international comparison.